Lassa Fever Outbreak: Death toll rises to 104 in Nigeria

Since the start of the year, 104 people have died as a result of the Lassa virus outbreak in Nigeria, local health officials reported on Friday.

According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (NCDC) most recent report on the outbreak, which has affected 88 local government areas throughout 22 states in the nation, 104 people had died as of February 26.

According to the NCDC, there have been a total of 636 confirmed cases so far. It also noted that with the most recent death toll, the case fatality rate had increased from 16 percent to 16.4 percent from earlier records.

The Lassa virus is the culprit behind Lassa fever, according to the World Health Organization. Infected Mastomys rats' pee or faeces can contaminate food or other household goods, which is how humans typically catch the virus. In some regions of West Africa, the disease is endemic among the rodent population.

Between one and three weeks following virus introduction, symptoms of Lassa fever might occasionally resemble those of malaria. Fever, weakness, exhaustion, and headaches are symptoms of the illness in mild cases.

Around 1,000 instances of Lassa fever were reported in Nigeria last year, and 170 people died as a result, despite the government's increased efforts to combat infections.

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